Monday, April 30, 2007

Last night I was trapped in a taxi by a bad taxi driver. He kidnapped me, along with one my co-workers - someone I supervise. I was responsible for escaping and helping my friend/co-worker escape. Escaping involved calling for help on a cell phone. I discovered about 8 cell phones in my bag - none of them mine, and all non-functional in some way or another. Another permutation of the bad phone dream that has plagued me since I can remember. When my alarm rang I resisted waking because I hadn't solved the problem in the dream yet.

I spent this weekend with a bunch of 13 year olds who have songs running through their veins and bursting out the tops of their heads. The Kiwanis Music Festival was the second of two festivals in which Fi and her friends sing every year. Their music teacher, Elaine, was there too, along with their wonderful accompanist, Barry.

Fiona sang in 4 solo categories and also performed in a duet and a group piece. The latter was delightful - "Oh the thinks you can think" from Seussical - a musical based on the stories of Doctor Seuss. She and her friends did well in all of the categories.

The planning and training and organizations leading up to these festivals makes me appreciate the teachers (voice teacher and choreographer) and accompanist. They put in whatever time is required to make sure the kids feel confident to perform. The children who study with our music school stand out for their talent, poise and ability, and their obvious enjoyment of the experience. Most of all, I admire the kids for their hard work, detailed preparation and love of singing and performing. They work with their teacher to choose suitable songs. They attend their lessons and practice at home (together for groups and duets). They decide and prepare what to wear (recital clothing for most categories, costumes for musical theatre). They make sure they have 2 copies of the music book (one for the accompanist, one for the adjudicator). They fill out their entry forms and get entry fee cheques from their parents (followed by cheques for the choreographer and cheques for the accompanist). They know when they need to be at the venue and get up early to go there if necessary. They pack props and water, make-up, hair stuff and whatever else they need. Then they get there and wait while others sing, then they perform. At the end of each category, the adjudicator speaks to all of the performers about their work. She recognizes their strengths and good choices, and gives each one suggestions for how to improve/what to try next/mistakes to correct. The kids listen and learn not only from their own adjudication, but from the commments given to every performer in the category.

It's quite something to think about, and easy to forget that these kids are only 13 years old. They are truly remarkable.

Now festivals are done. Middle school musical and baby show are done. We have only Anne of Green Gables at the end of May, and I still have 2 dresses to sew. No worries, I'll be finished soon. The kids, I suspect, are ready already.

Monday, April 23, 2007

One of the Moms at musical theatre class told me that she, and everyone else, thinks that I look "exactly like Melinda Doolittle on American Idol." I looked up a picture of Melinda Doolittle on the American Idol website. She looks like this.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

I think I just kicked my personal dork-dom rating up a notch by accepting a pocket pc and keyboard from work. Now I just have to get one of those really dorky bluetooth earpieces and walk around looking like I'm talking to myself or I'm being driven by remote control via a brain implant, or both.

Oh wait, mine's not a phone, so cancel the earpiece. Thank goodness, now I'm just a sub-dork again. That feels better.

question: do these things actually save us time and make us more productive?

I lost the sham slam in Maple Ridge last night, which is very bad or very good, depending on how you look at it. The object was to be the worst and the judges gave me the lowest scores, so that was great (or awful - depending). I performed sham translation of Jabberwocky called "Picklewocky" and a 3 minute long haiku.

The Maple Ridge Slam is organized by Devon and Maris Goodman, a sister and brother team. They are young, energetic, talented and intelligent. They are amazing at promoting and hosting their event. The cafe was nearly full, mostly with people who came for the slam. Those who came not for the slam were dragged kicking and laughing into the action. The slam takes place on the 3rd Friday of the month at The Ridge Cafe.

The poetry was truly putrid, on purpose of course. Booing and hissing replaced clapping and cheering. The judges gave zeros and negative scores. Maris and Devon hammed it up with layers of hostful incompetence and rudeness, hurling insults at the audience, the poets and each other. One of the evening's lowlights was a truly vomit-inducing second round sacrifice poem by Devon. Trevor Spilchen featured, and he was great, except when he performed as "Spilli Vanilli" in a tribute to disgrace pop lip-synch duo Milli Vanilli. Vancouver Slam poet RC Weslowski was there too. His homo-erotic ode to a Alberta Conservative MP rivalled Devon's poem for ooky factor, but was not bad enough to earn him a losing title.

This slam is worth checking out. I'm looking forward to attending on a "good poetry" night, when the young and enthusiastic crowd and equally young and enthusiastic poets should put on a really fun show. Next month: May 18 at the Ridge Cafe in the Library/Leisure Centre Building on Dewdney Trunk Road at 224th in Maple Ridge. Admission is $2. Doors at 7.

question: did you ever try to do something badly and find out you could be worse than you imagined?

The middle school performance of Oliver was wonderful - the best show they've put on in all of the years we've been there, and not just because Fiona was in it. They had lots of boys this year, so it was their chance to produce a show with lots of male roles. There were also lots of grade 6s who are little, and grade 8s who are big and more grown-up looking, so there were actors who could be orphans and actors who could be adults.

Fiona played Nancy. She sang two solo songs beautifully, and looked disarmingly grown up in a crimson satin dress with black lace trim. I saw the show Wednesday. Andy went Wednesday and Thursday. Lots of friends and family came too. Even on closing night Thursday, when lots of people would like to be watching the hockey game, the gym was almost full.

After the last show the students helped tear down the sets and put away props, then they had a pizza celebration. Their teacher/directors asked them what they like best about the play. Fiona told me in the car home there were several things she liked best, but the one that sticks in my mind is this: The grade 6s, 7s and 8s hung out together, ate lunch together and it wasn't weird. There were no cliques. They just worked and had fun together. I think that is very cool.

question: have you seen any musical theatre lately?

mompoet - beginning to think it's normal for people to burst into song when they have something to say

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

We're having a potluck supper at church on Friday to celebrate 100 years of marriage. Two couples will be honoured on their anniversaries (40th and 60th). I was asked to write a poem to help with the celebration. It's almost ready, and should be fun. I've written parts for everyone to join in the performance. Something delightful that I learned: both couples met at New Year's Eve parties. Both wives consider their most precious gifts from their husbands to be their wedding rings. Oh, and there's this great story about an accidentally green-frosted wedding cake, but you'll have to show up at the supper to hear that.

If supper's over not too late, I might head out to the Sham Slam at the Maple Ridge Poetry Slam. Here's the scoop lifted from an email announcement by co-host of this new slam, Devon Goodman:

BRING OUT YOUR ANGST, FAILED METAPHORS, AND SUPERFICIAL RHYMESAND WHATEVER OTHER SORT OF SKULLDUGGERY YOU CAN THINK OFTHIS IS GOING TO BE RIDICULOUS

FEATURING THE ATROCIOUSSPILLIOUS"Bio,I hated biology in school and sometimes I have to teach it now! Oh, you mean Biography well thats complicated. How to explain the intricacies of a life spent teaching and being a father of three girls and being a musician and a poet, (or should I say gay scientist!) In the words of Jeff Lebowski "The dude abides" and can be found hosting the Spillious Speak and Sing open mic at the cottage bistro the First and Third Wednesday of every month, running the fabulous 80's @ 8 show @ The Cottage Bistro the 3rd Wednesday every month and co-hosting The Main street head to head slam at the same venue.(This month is Tuesday the 24th)"

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

I was tired and grumpy at work today. I had a great night last night at the Poetry Slam, but paid for it today with tiredness and a short fuse.

Co-worker comes in needing me to order something using the new computerized purchasing system (she's been locked out of the system for inexplicable reasons). I'm due to go in for re-training, haven't used the program yet, in a terrible rush needing to get out the door to a meeting (and did I mention grumpy?)

Co-worker is apologizing. If you want, we could do it tomorrow (but tomorrow will be worse when I check my schedule). I say, "Let's do it." Now we both feel bad, she for inconveniencing me. Me for not doing a great job of being a supportive and friendly co-worker. I pull out my training manual and follow the instructions, with co-worker coaching me with info that Purchasing gave her, and her copy of the manual. Of course it does not work. Keeps spitting unintelligible error messages at me and making precious minutes of data entry into squishy little fields disappear and need to be redone. Like this:

ERROR: Wrong syntax hooglebloob. Should snigwipple as: XX:_,_,_) (Did I mention the original program was written in GERMAN?)

So I don't know what the heck snigwipple is anyway because I missed the advanced snig functions course that was held at 3:15pm on Chrismas Eve.

I phone Purchasing they say, "we don't know how to work it. we're transferring you to helpdesk."

Ayyyyeeeeee! I am falling into a pit of gooo.

"Hello. Helpdesk."

"I need help with Shopping Cart."

"Just a moment. I will transfer you to our shopping cart specialist on duty."

Does co-worker detect that I am about to lose it? I give her a progress report, "I'm on hold with helpdesk, waiting for a shopping specialist."

Shopping cart specialist helps me figure out my gross and vast error (don't put a dollar sign before the dollar amount). She advises me on how to correctly fill out several other fields. Then she says, "Should work now." Just call me right back if you have any more problems. Ten seconds later all of my work is wiped out, again. I phone helpdesk back and ask for Shopping Cart specialist by name. (This is 15 seconds later.) They tell me that she has not been in the office all day. "Can we take your number and ask her to call you back?"

I am near tears now. Not tears of laughter. "No," I say, "I'm late for a meeting. I'll call her tomorrow." I hope co-worker did not hear that catch in my voice.

"Okay, let's try one more time before we give up"

Somehow we get the info all inputted and I push "submit" or whatever it is. I get my completed order, confirmed sent to my boss for approval and ready to print. For the $475 item I thought I just ordered, the total is $1,325. Lots of tax, I guess.

Suddenly, coworker and I are laughing hysterically. I dash off a hyperbolic email to my boss and the buyer who will receive this order, including an explanation that I do not actually want a geotechnical engineer. I really want a training consultant, but that's not on the menu, and helpdesk suggested that a geotechnical engineer is the closest existing listing to a training consultant. (Hmmm, what should I do when I need to order hats? Oh! Manhole covers, yup, that'll do.)

I still have 10 minutes to get to my meeting, fifteen minutes away by car. I thank co-worker for putting up with grumpy me. She says thanks for helping her order a geotechnical engineer. Tomorrow let's order some anthrax vaccine. We agree it was hell, but also the best laugh we had all day.

Monday, April 16, 2007

I have been thinking and thinking about how much is enough and how much is too much. I tend to do as much as possible because it suits me to work that way. Sometimes I get overwhelmed.

My strategy when I feel overwhelmed is to drop a couple of commitments until I feel that sense of joy return. I'm not exaggerating when I say joy. Most of the time I wake up saying to myself, "I have such and such to do today - YES!" That's not to say I love everything that I have to do. Just most days the highlight is something I have chosen or at least accepted and I am happy to do it.

Yesterday I chose to drop two commitments for the day: I attended my writer's group, but just for half an hour to say hello to everyone and share in the announcements part of the meeting. I left before reading and workshopping began. On the way home I felt sad, mostly that I wasn't staying to help my friends and share in the creative process. But I got over it. Later that afternoon I was supposed to go to a meeting in our strata complex about insurance issues. I missed the meeting, sent my research in ahead by email and called in my regrets. Later in the day as I drove out of the complex to take some of Fi's friends home after a visit, I saw my neighbours coming home from the meeting. I felt guilty to see them working hard at something important on a Sunday afternoon and I ducked out. But I got over it.

Instead of spending the afternoon at Shoreline Writers and the Insurance Committee, I sewed a costume, cooked home-made soup for supper, talked about hockey with our son, kept an eye on Andy and his bad cold, and enjoyed the silliness of 3 girls watching the second half of Titanic on DVD.

This morning I woke up feeling 100% better! It will be a late night at the Vancouver Poetry Slam, but I know for sure that I want to be there. I go to it with joy. It's funny how a mini-sabbatical can make such a difference. Nobody missed me terribly or thought I was being negligent, and I felt like I was in the right place doing the right thing.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

This week has been two scoops too many, but we're through it. Lots of good stuff, just too much, too relentlessly, too intense with not a moment to breathe (let alone think) in between.

I've been doing summer job interviews at work, trying to hire for about 20 positions. It's going well, but it's nerve-wracking anyways because it's very important, and I'm doing it not for my own programs, but on behalf of a big summer programs committee. I'm hiring other people's staff. I know now that I do not want to be an HR consultant. It's too difficult.

In between I'm trying to keep up with my regular work, including a community meeting, program startups, time to meet with my co-workers and staff who I supervise, all the while trying not to be a grumpy rushed distracted messy mess. I have this lurking feeling like "I forgot something important" constantly. Multi-tasking is one thing. Operating simultaneously in several dimensions is not good. I have a break from interviews this week then a blast of more interviews in the final week of April and it will be mostly done. Thank goodness my good friend and co-worker Robin is doing the background checks and sitting down with me for a reality check every day or two. Without her, I think I might be spinning in the stratosphere right now.

In between that, I've been going to the Coquitlam District Music Festival with Fiona who has done phenomenally well. She competed in 5 categories, placed in 4, got wonderful adjudications and sang and performed beautifully. I am so proud of her. She has worked hard, and it's paying off spectacularly. Watching the competition is exciting and sweaty and emotional. We all sit in complete silence watching and listening, but inside I'm jumping out of my chair and shrieking quite often. (Good thing it doesn't show.) I did cry a couple of times, but I slouched down and hid behind someone tall so I wouldn't be an embarassment. (I hope)

In between that, I've been helping Alex get his final hours of practice driving in. Soon he'll go for his "N" test which will qualify him as a new driver, allowed to drive my car solo with some restrictions. He's also putting out job applications, so I guess this summer he'll be using my car to drive to work. Maybe I'll have an excuse to stay home more. I like that.

Andy and I finally got some time together on Friday. We went out for supper with a bunch of friends, including Andy's best man from our wedding. Bill and his wife Linda live in Calgary. They visit every few months, and we all get together. It was nice. We talked and laughed and caught up. We went to the Keg restaurant and ate steak, which I hardly ever do any more. It was good, but I didn't feel that good after.

That's the other thing about this week - not enough time for health. I missed the gym all except Friday morning. When I got there I was so wound up I think I just about broke the pedals off the bike. But it felt good. Next interview week, I'm going to try to stop for some exercise throughout the week.

This week it's the middle school production of Oliver. I'm still sewing costumes, but now they're for Anne of Green Gables. And Andy has a horrible chest-coughing cold, so I'm trying to do as much for him as I can, while he rests. My job for myself this week is to calm down, stop rushing, forget about some things and find out it's okay, really. I will exercise, and read, and watch a movie. That will be much better.

Friday, April 13, 2007

I actually smelled them. Thursday night, 6:55pm outside of Burnaby City Hall after a brief but heave rainshower. THEY...SMELLED...WONDERFUL.

In case you've missed my previous rants about smell deficit problems, I have lost a good part of my sense of smell in the last few years. I'm still okay for stuff I can physically snuffle up close, but those delicious wafty hints of "something over here - look!" happen very rarely these days. Once in a while the portal opens and whoooooo! It helps that there are a googolplex daffodils blooming around Burnaby City Hall. mmmmmmm

Other signs of spring:

"Bear in the Area Signs" are popping up - saw one on Heritage Mountain Boulevard on the weekend.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

There's this guy named Robert Chaplin who collaborated with physicists at Simon Fraser University to make the world's smallest book. It's indescribably how much I love this.

The creator of the book seems to be an interesting person indeed. While he was unavailable for comment to Canadadotcom, he did talk to CBC Radio's As It Happens this evening. I looked him up. He has a blog.

Caller: Hello Mrs. Mompoet? This is Ramona from Jack Layton and the Federal NDP. We want to express our appreciation for your previous contributions, and ask if you could increase your monthly donation or give a little extra this month?

Mompoet: Well, I'd like to, but you see, we're currently financing two teenagers.

I have received many scam emails, you know the ones from people in other countries, appealing for my help with orphans, inheritances, stock certificates, deposed princes etc. I just delete them.

I didn't know that there are people who make it a vocation to bait the scammers. I heard about this on CBC radio over the weekend, and checked out a site that they mentioned: 419eater.com

The whole thing strikes me as kind of creepy, but interesting. There are even sound files of scambaiters talking to scammers on the phone, and photographs of scammers making themselves look ridiculous just to provide the scambaiters with trophies. I'm not signing up for this hobby.

We had a lovely church service for Easter Sunday. It was pouring rain, so I skipped the sunrise service at Rocky Point Pier, scheduled for 7am, and made it in for the regular service at 10. The church was filled with light and flowers and families, everyone smiling and singing and happy to be there. Easter Sunday is wonderful!

After a quiet day at home, we joined with my parents and Andy's brother and nephew at Andy's Mom's place for supper. It was yummy and relaxing.

Now Andy is back at work, but the kids and I have one more day off - Monday in lieu of the Sunday which falls on the weekend, so somehow we are "owed" a day off from work and school. I think that's a funny notion, but I'll take the day off anytime!

With Easter past, we jump into the tumble jumble of spring activities: music festivals, plays, exams and report cards, gardening, block parties, longer adventures walking the dog, karate grading, Van Slam semis and finals, hiring and training for summer day camp, the busy season for movie-making. It's always full to the brim in springtime for everyone in this family. I'm grateful for our energy and for the opportunities to be so busy with things we love to do.

I've been sewing these Oom-Pa-Pa dresses for the middle school production of Oliver. They're all the same pattern, but different sizes and lengths, for each of the girls, and also all different colours and fabrics. Ms. Ono, the teacher in charge of costumes (and lots of other parts of the production), bought materials from "the bargain bins" as she called them. I've already made quite a few dresses, so by now I've stitched through bales of broadcloth and meters of polyester. When I unfolded the fabric from dress number 7 (of eight) I was surprised to find a luscious apricot-coloured silk charmeuse. Silk, for real. It just feels a million light years away from the cotton-poly and poly-poly I've been stitching for days. At once it's lighter and more substantial. It's creamy and resilient and seems to have a life of its own in my hands. It's also more delicate. At once I was rifling my sewing kit for a finer sewing machine needle and slender pins. The dress is almost done and it's a delicious confection. I can't wait to see the Oom-Pa-Pa scene and spot the dancer who will wear this dress. It will float and shine. She will glow.

Vic and me, we got tickets. We're going to the show. I can hardly wait to see Arcade Fire outdoors at Deer Lake in Burnaby on May 24. Now we just have to pray for a warm, dry evening. My friend Michele and her husband once spent the entire Blues Festival dressed in giant garbage bags when it rained.

Friday, April 06, 2007

We held a tenebrae (shadow) service at church this morning. It was dark and sad. We read from Luke, the story of Jesus's betrayal and crucifixion. As parts of the story were told, candles were extinguished until the church was dark. We left in quiet sadness and contemplation.

There's a great article in today's Vancouver Sun about Good Friday. If you have the paper, I recommend you read it. Vancouver Sun can't be read on line without a subscription, unfortunately.

question: what can we learn from isolation, betrayal, denial and desolation?

Fiona and I went last night to see Mirror Mirror. It's a play written, produced and performed by a group of Vancouver teens. The theme is depression, but it also talks about the social life of all teens and their experience of family, friendship, love, academic pressure, peer pressure, racism, and the isolation that is part of growing up. The play shows how this isolation can overwhelm a person to the point of desperation and illness. It gives a glimpse into the lives of young people on the verge of adulthood, experiencing psychosis, schizophrenia, clinical depression and bipolar syndrome.

Mirror Mirror was put on at the Roundhouse Community Centre by writer-director Valerie Methot, Coastal Health (the local health authority) and other good people. They spent 6 months together, first workshoping the play then rehearsing it and readying it for presentation. We saw the finale performance on Thursday.

I wondered if Fiona would like it. On the way there, we discussed the different forms of theatrical presentation and which ones we liked best. I also wondered if it would be too immediate for her - a bunch of people just a bit older than she is, performing initially improvised bits about their angst and suffering. And it was deeply personal and immediate - maybe enough to make it uncomfortable to view. I should not have worried. She loved it. So did I. We were moved and impressed. It was a great show.

Valerie, Coastal Health and Roundhouse plan to do this again next year. I'm looking forward to seeing what issue they choose to tackle in their new production. Valerie will also facilitate another production of Take a Breath - a community performance show workshoped and presented by neighbourhood people a couple of years ago. It was delightful.

Valerie is also my friend and co-worker at Parks and Rec, where her day job is community arts facilitation. I feel proud to know her.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

I usually cry at church on Good Friday, and sometimes on other days. This Palm Sunday I was crying. The combination of hymn choices, readings and our minister, Tim's reflections on the juxtaposition of "Hosanna!" and "Crucify!" struck a chord of deep sadness and recognition for me. It's been following me through the week. The last thing Tim said in the benediction was something about "even though they shouted, 'Crucify!' it was not the last word."

I'm feeling a bit sad this week missing another Easter with my sister and her family. We usually travel to their home a day's drive from ours, and spend the weekend. They aren't church people, so one of the things I do when we don't visit them is to fully participate in our church's Easter observances. My heart feels hungry for all of it this year, in all of its drama, glory and human-ness.

question: do you ever wonder if people have always been the same and will always be the same?

Sunday, April 01, 2007

We put 6 coats of red paint on the basement walls. Now we're done, except for a couple of touch-ups here and there. The furniture is back in, although we'll replace some of it in the next few weeks. We still have to put the games and movies and stuff back on the shelves this week. It looks like a more grown-up place now. We love the colour.

question: if you could paint your room any colour, what colour would you choose?